We love Total Film’s description of Amelie: “The rarest of cinematic rarities – a schmaltz-free feelgooder which doesn’t make you feel good, but reminds you that true love can exist and that beauty can be found in even the most seemingly mundane of places.”

A perfect Sunday evening. Mid summer, in a clearing in The Orchards, the story of Amelie Poulain unravelled on our big screen. Amelie is Ellen’s favourite film and it was as magical as we had imagined it would be.

Local street food vendor Churros Bar served up their delicious Spanish churros and the EC Bar and popcorn machines were in full flow as per!

Imogen Mahdavi is a Cambridge born-and-raised singer now based in London. She made a special trip back to her home town to play in one of her favourite Cambridge spots, The Orchard Tea Gardens. This girl is one to watch. The more she writes, records and performs, the more people fall in love with her and that soulful voice. She has been likened to Amy Winehouse for good reason and she left the Enchanted Cinema audience spell-bound yesterday evening. A big thanks to Imogen and her guitarist for playing and creating such a magical atmosphere before the film and as the sun set.

“So, my little Amélie, you don’t have bones of glass. You can take life’s knocks. If you let this chance pass, eventually, your heart will become as dry and brittle as my skeleton. So, go get him, for Pete’s sake!” – Raymond Dufayel aka Glass Man

Before Amelie we screened Chops, a Channel Four First Acts commission directed by Jac Clinch. It’s a great independent short film that tells the story of a man called Keith. At a hybrid hairdressers-restaurant, where one may receive a smart haircut whilst dining, Keith is disturbed to find a hair in his food.

Cambridge film maker Robyn Wilton is selecting the independent short films that we show before each of the features at our events this summer at The Orchards. Screen South and the Ignition Network present a series of First Acts Short films in partnership with Random Acts and Arts Council England. We are super proud to support talented young creatives aged 16-24 who deliver bold expressions of creativity in a 3min short film. We hope the audience last night enjoyed seeing work from the next generation of artists/filmmakers!

So, all in all last night was a truly enchanting evening! There were lots of giggles throughout the evening. Lots of smiling faces too as the audience made their way back to their bikes, taxi or cars after an evening of French cinema, churros, drinks, popcorn, deckchairs and blankets, under the stars.

We’ll be back at The Orchards on Friday the 28th of July for a weekend of Guardians of the Galaxy, Back to the Future and Batman. To all who joined us for Amelie, thank you for being a truly magical audience. We hope we see you again soon. Big love from Team EC x